Portal:Current events/October 2014

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in Donbass:
- At least 12 people are killed when shells hit a school and, in a separate shelling, a bus station in the separatist-controlled city of Donetsk. (CNN)
Taliban insurgency
- Taliban suicide bombers attack an Afghan National Army convoy in Kabul, killing at least 7 people and injuring 19. (Wall Street Journal)
Syrian civil war:
- At least 45 people (including 41 children) are killed and 56 injured following a suicide bomber attack on the Akrameh al-Makhzumi school in Homs. (RTE)(Al Jazeera)

Arts and culture

The Philippines government confiscates art owned by Imelda Marcos, including a Michaelangelo, a Gauguin, and a Picasso, alleging that these were bought using embezzled funds. (BBC)

Business and economy

U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy writes to Internet Service Providers asking them to commit to net neutrality, that is, to refrain from engaging in "paid prioritization." (Reuters)

Environment

Pacific walruses unable to find sea ice on which to rest in Arctic waters are coming ashore in record numbers on a beach in north-west Alaska.(The Guardian)

Politics and elections

Greenland's government calls for an early election on November 28 after an expenses scandal prompts Prime Minister Aleqa Hammond to step down as leader of the governing Siumut party. (AFP)
Julia Pierson resigns as the Director of the United States Secret Service following a series of security breaches at the White House. (Bloomberg)
The Egyptian government confiscates all copies of a daily print of Al-Masry Al-Youm, one of the country’s largest private newspapers, in order to censor an article, days after President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi vowed in a U.S. television interview that there was "no limitation on freedom of expression in Egypt." (New York Times)

October 2, 2014 (Thursday)

Disasters and accidents

2014 Gorni Lom explosions:

A series of explosions at a gunpowder plant in the village of Gorni Lom in Northwestern Bulgaria completely destroys the factory, killing 15 people who were working inside it at the time. (Focus News)

International relations

United States–Vietnam relations:
- The United States partially lifts a long-time ban on lethal weapon sales to Vietnam to help it improve maritime security, a historic move that comes nearly 40 years after the end of the Vietnam War. (Voice of America)

October 3, 2014 (Friday)

Business and economy

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that unemployment in the United States has dropped from 6.1% to 5.9% in September, the lowest since July of 2008. The labor force participation rate also fell, to 62.7 percent. (CNBC)
A cyber-attack against JPMorgan Chase and 9 other financial institutions that compromised over 83 million accounts is disclosed. The attack is considered one of the largest data breaches in history.(Reuters)

Politics and elections

Swedish general election, 2014:
- Sweden's new Prime Minister, Stefan Löfven, presents his minority government consisting of the Social Democrats and the Green Party; former EU commissioner Margot Wallström is the new foreign minister. (SVT)

October 4, 2014 (Saturday)

Armed conflicts

Syrian civil war
- The Kurdish city of Kobane in the Raqqa governate is on the brink of catastrophe as ISIL fighters besiege the city. (The Guardian)

International relations

Sweden's new centre-left government creates a surprise by announcing that the country will recognise the state of Palestine, and becomes the first European country to do so while a member of the European Union. (Euronews)

Politics and elections

After counting special votes from the 20 September New Zealand general election, the National Party loses its one-seat majority after losing a seat to the Green Party. With the support of ACT and United Future, National still forms a government, albeit a minority government. (NZ Herald)
Latvian parliamentary election, 2014
- Latvia votes in a parliamentary election; Laimdota Straujuma's centre-right government keeps its majority. (Euronews)
Jean-Claude Duvalier (Baby Doc), leader of Haiti from his father's death in 1971 until his overthrow by a popular uprising in 1986, dies of a heart attack. (CNN)

Sports

Despite ending their 22-match unbeaten streak after losing to South Africa, New Zealand win the 2014 Rugby Championship in rugby union. Also on the final day of the tournament, Argentina defeat Australia for their first win in the competition since joining it in 2012. (BBC, South Africa–New Zealand) (BBC, Argentina–Australia)
The 2014 Asian Games concludes in Incheon, South Korea with China gaining the most medals. (The Express Tribune)

October 5, 2014 (Sunday)

Armed conflicts

Syrian civil war:
- 18,000 Palestinians are facing life-threatening shortages of water in the Yarmouk Camp neighborhood of Damascus. (QnA)
Insurgency in the North Caucasus:
- Five police officers are killed and twelve others wounded in a suicide bombing in Grozny, the capital of Russia's North Caucasian republic of Chechnya. (BBC)

Politics and elections

Bulgarian parliamentary election, 2014
- Bulgarians vote in a snap election, following the resignation of a Socialist-led government in July; the number of parties in the National Assembly grows from four to eight, and the centre-right GERB becomes the biggest party but falls short of an overall majority. Voter turnout is just about 50%, lower than at any time since the establishment of democratic rule in 1989. (The Economist)
Brazilian general election, 2014
- Brazilians vote in a presidential general election using electronic machines. (AP via BBCNews)
- The election race ends with its final counting indicating a second-round between candidates Dilma Rousseff and Aécio Neves to be decided in poll by voters at the end of the month. (The Washington post)

Sports

In rugby league, the South Sydney Rabbitohs win the 2014 NRL Grand Final and with it their 21st title (the most by any club) and their first since 1971, by beating the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs by 30-6.

October 6, 2014 (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

ISIL prepares to establish itself in Libya and reports emerge that they are already in the city of Derna. (Al Arabiya)
Kashmir conflict
- India and Pakistan trade fire across the borders resulting in five civilian deaths in India and four in Pakistan. (AFP/Reuters via ABC News Australia)

Business and economics

Hilton Worldwide Holdings Inc. agrees to sell its most prestigious hotel, Manhattan’s Waldorf Astoria, for $1.95 billion to Chinese insurance company Anbang Insurance Group. (MarketWatch)
American IT company Hewlett-Packard announces plans to split in two and shed 5,000 jobs. (Sci-Tech Today)

Health

Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa
- A Spanish nurse becomes the first person to be infected with the Ebola virus outside West Africa. (New York Times)
Enterovirus 68
- First death to be blamed on Enterovirus 68. Claims the life of a 4 year old named Eli Waller. (CBC)

Disasters and accidents

2014 Pacific typhoon season
- At least four people are dead as Typhoon Phanfone makes landfall in central Japan. (AFP via ABC News Australia)

Politics and elections

The European Parliament rejects Hungary's EU commissioner-designate Tibor Navracsics as unsuitable for the education and culture commissioner post; he may still be given a different post in the commission, causing a reshuffle. (BBC)

Science

Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
- British neuroscientist John O'Keefe and Norwegian scientists May-Britt Moser and Edvard Moser share the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. (Huffington Post)

October 7, 2014 (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Korean maritime border incidents
- There is an exchange of gunfire as a North Korean patrol boat breaches the South Korean western sea border. (AFP, NewsCorp via Sydney Daily Telegraph)
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
- A hospital in the northern Iraqi city of Tal Afar says that 29 suspected ISIL fighters were killed in airstrikes last night. (CNN)
- Kurds clash violently with Turkish police over failure to help Kurds under siege in the Syrian border city of Kobani under siege by ISIL forces. At least fourteen people have died in the clashes. (AP)

Disasters and accidents

A magnitude 6.0 earthquake hits China's Yunnan province with at least one death reported. (Sky News)
2014 Pacific typhoon season
- Supertyphoon Vongfong becomes the most intense storm of the year as it heads for Japan. (Live Science)
A major search operation is underway for the Sunrise-689, a Vietnamese vessel carrying 18 crew members and 5,226 tonnes of oil which lost both radio and radar contact on October 3 40 minutes after its departure from Singapore. (International Business Times)

International relations

Burma pledges to release 3000 prisoners a month before it hosts a Southeast Asian summit. (Reuters)

Politics

Umbrella revolution
- Protesters who filled Hong Kong's streets for more democracy lessened Tuesday after the government finally agreed to negotiate with the student leaders. (CBC)

Science

Nobel Prize in Physics
- Isamu Akasaki, Hiroshi Amano and Shuji Nakamura win the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics for inventing blue light emitting diodes. (BBC)

October 8, 2014 (Wednesday)

Armed conflict and attacks

Mass graves found in Iguala, Mexico, on October 5th reportedly contain the remains of 28 of the 43 missing students that clashed with the police during last September. (The New York Times)
At least 19 Kurdish civilians were killed while protesting against the government's inaction in defending Kobani from ISIS advances. (Times of Israel)
Taliban insurgency
- A suicide bomber kills at least four people and wounds 16 in Afghanistan's Helmand province. (Tolo News)
al-Qaeda insurgency in Yemen
- al-Qaeda launches an attack on the south Yemen town of al-Bayda killing at least four soldiers before being beaten back by the army. (Swiss Info)

Arts and culture

The Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra is awarded the $1 million Birgit Nilsson Prize in a ceremony in Stockholm. (ABC News)
Archaeologists date cave paintings in Maros on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi as being 40,000 years old, which is as old as similar works in Europe. (New York Times)

Health

Ebola virus disease in the United States
- The first person who was diagnosed with ebola in the United States, Thomas Eric Duncan, a Liberian man, dies in Dallas, Texas. (USA Today)

International relations

Uhuru Kenyatta, the President of Kenya, appears at a status conference at the International Criminal Court regarding post-election violence in 2007. (AAP via SBS)

Politics and elections

With 13 votes for and 122 against, the European Parliament rejects former Slovenian Prime Minister Alenka Bratušek's candidacy for Vice-President of the European Commission and as Commissioner for the Energy Union. (Slovenia Times) (EU Observer)
John Key is sworn in for his third term as Prime Minister of New Zealand. (ABC News Australia)

Science

People in North America, Australia, western South America and parts of East Asia will be able to see a lunar eclipse today. (BBC)
Nobel Prize in Chemistry
- Eric Betzig, Stefan Hell and William Moerner share the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the development of ‘super-resolved fluorescence microscopy’. (The Guardian)

October 9, 2014 (Thursday)

Armed conflict and attacks

al-Qaeda insurgency in Yemen
- A suicide bomb attack kills at least 20 people in Tahrir Square in the Yemeni capital Sana'a. (Daily Star)
War in North-West Pakistan
- American drone strikes kill at least five militants in North Waziristan. (AP via SFGate)
A hand grenade explodes in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur killing one person and injuring 13. (Wall Street Journal)
Iraqi insurgency (2011–present)
- A car bombing in a busy street in Baghdad's largest Shi'ite neighbourhood kills at least 12 people. (AFP via Al-Arabiyah)

Arts and culture

2014 Nobel Prize in Literature
- The French novelist Patrick Modiano is awarded the 2014 Nobel Prize in Literature. (Telegraph)

Law and crime

Alleged Mexican drug lord Vicente Carrillo Fuentes is captured in the city of Torreon. (Los Angeles Times)

Politics and elections

Former Slovenian prime minister Alenka Bratušek withdraws her candidacy as Vice-President of the European Commission and as European Commissioner for Energy after having been rejected by the European Parliament. (EU Observer)
Estonia becomes the first former Soviet republic to legalize gay partnerships and grant equal rights to same-sex couples.(EU Observer) (Instinct Magazine)
2014 Hong Kong protests
- Hong Kong government says it has called off a meeting on 10 October 2014 with student leaders of the pro-democracy movement. (BBC)
At least 12 people are killed in demonstrations across Turkey. (Al Jazeera)

October 10, 2014 (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
- ISIL forces capture the headquarters of Kurdish forces defending the Syrian border town of Kobane with the United Nations warning of massacre. (AAP via SBS)

Health

Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa:
- Three people in Mali, which has had no cases, are injected with an experimental vaccine against the Ebola virus, the first such trial in Africa. (Haaretz)
- The World Health Organisation estimates that the death toll from the outbreak has passed 4000 with all but nine deaths occurring in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. (BBC)

International relations

Nobel Peace Prize:
- Pakistani child education activist Malala Yousafzai and Indian children's rights advocate Kailash Satyarthi share the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize. (BBC), (Huffington Post)
The local KGB in Minsk arrests about 100 Ukrainian and 30 Belarusian soccer fans at a qualifying match between Ukraine and Belarus for the 2016 European Championship after they a sang the song, Putin-Huilo! (which roughly translates as "Putin is a dickhead!"). (FP)

Politics and elections

2014 Hong Kong protests:
- Hong Kong's Occupy Central protest leaders call for supporters to hold a major rally after the Government of Hong Kong calls off planned talks. (BBC)
Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea, fails to show at an event marking the 69th anniversary of the founding of the Workers' Party of Korea, increasing speculation about his prolonged absence from public view. (BBC)
Violeta Bulc is nominated as Slovenia's new candidate for EU commissioner after the former prime minister Alenka Bratušek was rejected by the European Parliament. (Slovenia Times)

October 11, 2014 (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
- Turkey agrees to allow the training of 2,000 Syrian opposition forces on its soil as Islamic State militants approach to within 1 mile of the centre of the border city of Kobani. (Wall Street Journal)
Cameroon says that 27 people believed captured by Islamist group Boko Haram including the wife of vice Prime Minister Amadou Ali have been freed. (AP via Fox News)

Disasters and accidents

At least seven people die and approximately 40 are injured at a stampede at a political rally by Pakistan opposition leader Imran Khan in the city of Multan. (BBC)
2014 Pacific typhoon season
- Typhoon Vongphong heads for the Japanese island of Okinawa leading to power losses and flight disruptions. (Reuters via Daily Mail)
2014 North Indian Ocean cyclone season
- Cyclone Hudhud strengthens over the Bay of Bengal with one person having already died in the storm. Mass evacuations of thousands of people is occurring as the storm approaches the east coast. (The Weather Channel), (AFP via SBS)

Law and crime

The American city of St. Louis prepares for a weekend of protests after eight people were arrested protesting another death in the suburb of Ferguson, Missouri this week. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

Charles Michel is sworn in as the new Prime Minister of Belgium leading a Coalition of four centre-right parties. (BBC)

October 12, 2014 (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
- Islamic State claims responsibility for a triple suicide bombing in Iraq's Diyala Province that killed 26 Kurds as well as an attack in Anbar Province that killed the head of security. (AP)
Post-civil war violence in Libya
- At least 21 people die in Libyan tribal clashes on the weekend. (Al-Arabiyah)
At least 26 people have been killed in tribal clashes in Nigeria's Plateau State over the past week. (Nigeria Tribune)

Disasters and accidents

2014 Pacific typhoon season
- At least 28 people are injured on the Japanese islands of Okinawa and Kyushu with 150,000 evacuated as Typhoon Vongfong approaches. (AP)
2014 North Indian Ocean cyclone season
- Eastern India feels the impact of Cyclone Hudhud which makes landfall around noon near the city of Visakhapatnam. The death toll in Andhra Pradesh is at least three.(AP), (The Times of India)

Health

2014 United States Ebola virus outbreak
- A Texas nurse tests positive for Ebola. The health care worker is the first person to contract the disease in the United States of America, the first infection in the US to occur by secondary contact, and the second in the world sickened from exposure outside of the African continent. (AP)

Politics and elections

Bosnia and Herzegovina general election, 2014
- Bakir Izetbegović and Dragan Čović appear to have won the Bosniak and Croat seat in the presidency while the race for the Serb seat is still too close to call. (Balkan Insight)
Bolivian general election, 2014
- Voters in Bolivia go to the polls for a general election with incumbent President Evo Morales winning in a landslide with 60 per cent of the vote. (AP via Fox News)

October 13, 2014 (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Iraqi insurgency (2011–present)
- Three bombs explode in Shi'ite areas of Baghdad killing at least 30 people. (Reuters via Yahoo! News)

Disasters and accidents

2014 Pacific typhoon season
- Typhoon Vongfong makes landfall in the Japanese island of Kyushu causing the evacuation of 150,000 people and disruption to plane and train services. (AP)
2014 North Indian Ocean cyclone season
- Cyclone Hudhud is downgraded to a tropical depression having caused at least 8 deaths in India with 5 dead in Andhra Pradesh and 3 people dead in Orissa. (AP)
A 7.4 magnitude earthquake occurs off the coast of El Salvador with a tsunami warning issued for the Pacific Ocean coasts of El Salvador, Nicaragua and Honduras. (Reuters)

Law and crime

A United States Marine is detained on the USS Peleliu, which is docked in Subic Bay, Philippines, after he allegedy murdered Filipino transgender woman Jennifer Laude. (Bloomberg)
Protesters in the Mexican state of Guerrero attack the state government headquarters in the state capital Chilpancingo over the disappearance of 43 students. (BBC)

Politics and elections

Brazilian general election, 2014
- Environmentalist Marina Silva, who came third in the first round of the presidential elections, decides to back centre-right candidate Aécio Neves following an open letter from Neves to the nation where he promises to include in his manifesto issues such as land reform, the demarcation of indigenous lands, the rights of rural communities and environmental concerns. (BBC)
Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea makes his first public appearance in five weeks. (Reuters via CBC)
Evo Morales, president of Bolivia is re-elected for a third 5 year term. (The Guardian)

October 14, 2014 (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Turkish jets bomb Kurdish PKK positions in south-east Turkey. (BBC)

Arts and culture

Australian author Richard Flanagan's novel The Narrow Road to the Deep North wins the 2014 Man Booker Prize. (BBC)

Business and economics

A large French bank, Groupe BPCE launches a service that allows its customers to use the social network Twitter to send one another money. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

2014 Pacific typhoon season
- Typhoon Vongfong leaves Japan as a tropical storm having caused at least one death, two people missing and 93 injured. (Reuters via ABC News Australia)
2014 North Indian Ocean cyclone season
- The death toll from Cyclone Hudhud rises to 24 with 400,000 people needing assistance in India's Andhra Pradesh and Orissa states. (BBC)
A woman suffering from schizophrenia stabbed three students and a police negotiator at a secondary school in Žďár nad Sázavou, Czech Republic. A 16-year-old boy died due to his injuries. (Channel NewsAsia)

Politics and elections

The President of the Generalitat of Catalonia, Artur Mas i Gavarró, drops plans for a referendum on independence on November 9 from Spain following opposition from the Constitutional Court of Spain. (Bloomberg via Business Week)

Sport

UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying Group D:
- Ireland stuns world champion Germany in Gelsenkirchen, with Ireland drawing the match at 1–1 when John O'Shea scores in stoppage time. (The Sydney Morning Herald) (Telegraph)
UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying Group I:
- The game between Albania and Serbia is abandoned after a drone carrying a flag promoting the concept of Greater Albania descends onto the pitch in Belgrade, sparking riots, mass brawling and an explosion. Albania players are attacked on the pitch by Serbia fans, who in turn clash with riot police. (BBC) (The Sydney Morning Herald)
- Albania's prime minister is embroiled in scandal after his brother is linked to the stunt. (Independent)

October 15, 2014 (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

At least eight people are killed as villagers clash with construction workers and riot police over land disputes in Yunnan province, China. (AFP via AsiaOne)
Shia insurgency in Yemen and al-Qaeda insurgency in Yemen
- Shia Houthi rebels and suspected al-Qaeda militants clash near the town of Radaa in Al Bayda' Governorate province resulting in at least 10 deaths. (BBC)

Business and economy

The Dow Jones Industrial Average drops more than 450 points, erasing gains for the year only to rebound late in the day for a close down 173 points. (CNBC)

Disasters and accidents

A snowstorm and avalanche in the Nepalese Himalayas triggered by the remnants of Cyclone Hudhud kills at least 17 people with 100 more out of contact. (AAP via SBS), (Reuters)

Health

Ebola virus outbreak in the United States
- A second health worker tests positive for the ebola virus in Dallas, Texas. (Reuters via ABC News Australia)

Law and crime

3 police officers are injured in Jerusalem as Israeli riot police and Palestinian protesters clash before a Jewish festival. (AP via Miami Herald)

Politics and elections

2014 Hong Kong protests
- Violent clashes between police and protesters occur in central Hong Kong as protesters attempt to barricade a major road. (New York Times)
Nicola Sturgeon will succeed Alex Salmond as leader of the Scottish National Party and First Minister of Scotland after she was the only candidate to put their name forward in the party's leadership election. (BBC)
Popular Saudi Shia Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr sentenced to death by Saudi court that tries terrorists and human rights activists. (BBC)

Sport

In North American Major League Baseball, the Kansas City Royals sweep the Baltimore Orioles in the 2014 American League Championship Series 4-0 to progress to the 2014 World Series. (Canadian Press via Yahoo!)

October 16, 2014 (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in North-West Pakistan
- The Pakistan Air Force claims to have killed at least 27 militants in overnight airstrikes. (AFP via Hindustan Times)

International relations

New Zealand, Malaysia, Angola, Spain and Venezuela have been elected to sit on the United Nations Security Council for two years from 2015. (Reuters via ABC News Australia)

Law and crime

Brazilian police arrest Thiago Henrique Gomes da Rocha who they claim has killed at least 39 people over a three year period targeting homeless people, women and gays. (BBC)

Politics and elections

The Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy (EFDD) group in the European parliament, set up by Eurosceptic parties after the European elections, is dissolved after Latvian MEP Iveta Grigule left the group. (Guardian), (EP Media Spokesman)
2014 Hong Kong protests
- There are overnight scuffles between members of the Hong Kong Police Force and Occupy Central with Love and Peace protesters for a second night. (BBC)

October 17, 2014 (Friday)

Disasters and accidents

2014 Atlantic hurricane season
- Hurricane Gonzalo hits Bermuda becoming the strongest storm to hit the island in a decade. (NBC News), (Reuters)

Health

Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa
- The World Health Organisation declares Senegal to be free of the Ebola virus. (Reuters via Business Recorder)
Ebola virus cases in the United States
- The President of the United States Barack Obama names lawyer and former political operative Ron Klain as "ebola czar" to coordinate US response to the Ebola outbreak. (AFP via Yahoo! News)

International relations

The Kyodo news agency reports that the Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe sent a ritual offering to the controversial Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo that could complicate relations with China and South Korea. (Reuters)
2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine
- Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, and Petro Poroshenko, the President of Ukraine, will meet at the sidelines of the Asia–Europe Meeting in Milan, Italy to discuss the conflict and supplies of natural gas. (Euronews)

Politics and elections

2014 Hong Kong protests
- The Hong Kong Police Force stages a dawn raid at the protest site in the suburb of Mong Kok. (Reuters)

October 18, 2014 (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Suspected Ugandan rebels kill more than 20 people near the Democratic Republic of the Congo town of Beni in their second attack in 48 hours. (Reuters)

Disasters and accidents

Cyclone Hudhud
- The death toll from the Nepalese avalanche caused by the remnants of Cyclone Hudhud reaches 40. (Xinhua)
Days of heavy rainfall in Nicaragua lead to at least 22 deaths including 9 people killed in the capital Managua by a wall collapse. (BBC)

Environment

A male of critically endangered northern white rhinoceros died in reservation Ol Pejeta in Kenya. It was one of only two known males of the northern subspecies of white rhinoceros capable of natural mating. The Dvůr Králové Zoo said that he was one of seven northern white rhinos left. (ABC), (Sydney Morning Herald)

Law and crime

A McKeesport, Pennsylvania fire leaves family with a loss of six lives. (WPXI)

October 19, 2014 (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

2014 investigation of suspected foreign underwater activity in the Stockholm archipelago:
- The Swedish National Defence Radio Agency (FRA) reportedly detected radio communication in Russian transmitted on a special frequency used by Russia only in emergency situations from an underwater vehicle in the Stockholm archipelago. (Svenska Dagbladet)
- The Swedish military releases a photo of the suspected vessel in the archipelago of Stockholm. (Expressen)
2014 Hong Kong protest
- The Hong Kong Police Force and protesters clash violently in the neighbourhood of Mong Kok. (McClatchy via Washington Post)

Religion

Pope Francis closes the Third Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, a preparatory meeting which had as its theme the pastoral challenges to the family, with a Mass at the Vatican—with Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and about 70,000 in attendance—featuring the beatification of Pope Paul VI, who concluded and implemented Vatican Council II and gained fame for writing the still-controversial Humanae Vitae sexual ethics encyclical. (MSN/Associated Press)

Science

A working human intestine is generated in a laboratory from induced pluripotent stem cells in the United States. (AAP via The Australian)
Oort cloud Comet Siding Spring makes a close fly-by the planet Mars passing within 140,000 kilometres. (ABC)

October 20, 2014 (Monday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

2014 investigation of suspected foreign underwater activity in the Stockholm archipelago:
- The investigation continues as the Russian Oil-tanker NS Concord maintains its criss-crossing outside Stockholm. (TT via The Local)
2014 Libyan conflict
- Pro-government forces launch an attack on Islamist militants resulting in 75 deaths in five days. (AFP via Business Standard)
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
- Turkey will allow Turkish Kurds to join in the fight against ISIL in Kobane. (BBC)
- At least 43 Shi'ites are dead in Baghdad and the holy city of Karbala in a wave of suicide and car bombings. (AP)
War in Donbass
- A huge explosion occurs in a rubber factory in the rebel held city of Donetsk with the Russian media claiming it was caused by a missile. The Government of Ukraine denies the charges. (The Independent)

Disasters and accidents

2014 Atlantic hurricane season
- The remnants of Hurricane Gonzalo are due to make landfall in the United Kingdom causing heavy rains and gale force winds. (The Independent)
A collision between two buses on the Dhaka-Rajshahi highway leaves at least 30 people dead in northwestern Bangladesh. (AAP via The Australian)
The Chief Executive Officer of Total S.A., Christophe de Margerie, dies in a plane crash in Moscow together with three members of the flight crew. (BBC)

Politics and elections

Joko Widodo is sworn in as President of Indonesia. (BBC)
Two members of Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe's cabinet, Trade Minister Yūko Obuchi and Justice Minister Midori Matsushima, resign over a scandal involving alleged misuse of political funds. (AFP via NZ Stuff)

October 21, 2014 (Tuesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Taliban insurgency
- A Kabul roadside bomb kills at least four Afghan National Security Force soldiers with six other soldiers and six civilians injured. (AP)

International relations

Poland's parliamentary speaker, Radoslaw Sikorski, says that Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed to Poland's then leader Donald Tusk in 2008 that they divide Ukraine between themselves. Sikorski later retracted the claim stating he had "mis-remembered". (Reuters via Yahoo News)(Daily Mail)

Law and crime

A South African court sentences Oscar Pistorius to five years in prison for killing his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. (Mail and Guardian), (NBC)
North Korea releases American Jeffrey Edward Fowle five months after detaining him for leaving a Bible at a hotel. (CNN)

Sports

In baseball, the 2014 World Series begins with the San Francisco Giants defeating the Kansas City Royals 7–1 in KC's Kauffman Stadium. (AFP via Sports Fan), (AP) (MLB.com)

October 22, 2014 (Wednesday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Swedish submarine incidents
- NATO intercepts Russian jets over the Baltic Sea while Sweden's six-day search for a possibly damaged Russian Navy submarine continues. (AP via Daily Telegraph) (Europe Online Magazine)
- Rear Admiral Anders Grenstad, while pointing out that Sweden's military operation is focused on gathering intelligence on a suspected foreign submarine in its waters, stated that military force could be used to make it surface. (BBC)
2014 shootings at Parliament Hill, Ottawa
- A gunman shoots a Canadian Forces soldier outside the Canadian National War Memorial, with the gunman later reported dead inside the Canadian Parliament buildings. The incident came hours after Canada raised its terror threat level from low to medium following Monday's fatal hit-and-run attack on two soldiers in Quebec. (CBC) (BBC), (CNN) (AFP via Yahoo News) (Guardian)
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant
- The Syrian Air Force claims to have shot down two of the three fighter jets operated by ISIL in northern Syria. (Reuters via Times of India)

Health

Ebola virus disease in the United States
- The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announces that there will be a 21-day monitoring period for all travelers from Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. (Fox News)

Law and crime

Blackwater Baghdad shootings
- A court convicts four former employees of Blackwater Worldwide on charges related to the 2007 killing of 14 unarmed Iraqis by firing machine guns in a Baghdad traffic circle. (Washington Post)
In Washington, D. C., Secret Service agents apprehend a White House north fence jumper. (ABC News America)

Sports

In Major League Baseball, the Kansas City Royals defeat the San Francisco Giants 7–2 at KC's Kauffman Stadium in Game 2 of the 2014 World Series, evening the series at 1–1. (AP)

October 23, 2014 (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

A Hamas member carries out a terrorist attack in Jerusalem by intentionally striking a group of pedestrians in a train station with his car killing a 3-month-old baby. (Times of Israel)
Islamist insurgency in Nigeria
- Boko Haram abducts "dozens" of women and girls in Adamawa State, specifically in the villages of Wanga Mangoro and Garta. (BBC)

Health

Ebola virus disease in the United States
- A New York City physician tests positive for Ebola at the Bellevue Hospital Center in Manhattan after treating Ebola patients in Guinea. (WABC-TV)
Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa
- Mali confirms that a 2-year-old girl has tested positive for Ebola, marking the country's first documented case. (BBC)

Law and crime

A man attacks a group of police officers in New York City with a hatchet, injuring 2 before being shot dead. Police suspect the attacker was motivated by radical Islamic ideals. (CNN)

Politics and elections

Protesters in Iran call for increased security after four women are injured in acid attacks in Isfahan for allegedly not wearing veils. (AFP via ABC Online)

Science

Partial solar eclipse visible over much of North America today. (timeanddate.com)

October 24, 2014 (Friday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Sinai insurgency:
- Two attacks by militants on Egyptian military positions in the Sinai Peninsula kill at least 33 security personnel. (Reuters)

Law and crime

Marysville Pilchuck High School shooting
- A student and a student gunman of Marysville Pilchuck High School in Marysville, Washington, are fatally shot along with six others injured. (CNN)
A gunman kills two sheriff's deputies, wounds an officer, a bystander in Sacramento County, California, then arrested. (FOXNews)

International relations

The European Union reaches a landmark climate deal to cut emissions by 40 percent by 2030. (AFP/Reuters via ABC News)

Politics and elections

Botswana election
- Voters in Botswana go to the polls for a general election with the ruling Botswana Democratic Party of President Ian Khama winning 33 of 57 seats. (Reuters)

Science and technology

Chinese space program
- The China National Space Administration launches the unmanned Chang'e 5-T1 spacecraft to fly around the moon and back to earth. (AP)
Alan Eustace sets a parachuting record of 135,000 feet. (Daily Mail)
Lockheed Martin announces that it plans to have a functioning prototype fusion reactor operational in 3 years. (Voice of America)

Sports

In Major League Baseball, the Kansas City Royals take a 2–1 lead in the 2014 World Series after defeating the San Francisco Giants 3–2 at AT&T Park in San Francisco. (AP via ESPN)
In rugby union, SANZAR announces that Japan has beaten out Singapore for an Asian Super Rugby franchise. The Japan franchise will join the Eastern Province Kings from South Africa and a team from Argentina as new teams when Super Rugby expands from 15 sides to 18 in 2016. (AFP via The Sydney Morning Herald)

October 25, 2014 (Saturday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

Iraqi insurgency (2011-present)
- Kurdish peshmergas retake the city of Zumar and several nearby villages from ISIS, while Iraqi government forces and Shi'ite militias seize control of Jurf Al Sakhar. (Reuters/Huffington Post)
Sinai insurgency
- Egypt declares a three month state of emergency for parts of the Sinai Peninsula after at least 31 soldiers are killed in two attacks there. (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

Sixteen workers are killed after a coal mine collapses in far western Xinjiang region. (Reuters)

Law and crime

Despite an international campaign, Iran hangs Reyhaneh Jabbari, sentenced for the murder of a man she claims was in self-defence. (BBC)

Politics and elections

The United States Federal Government recognizes same-sex marriage in Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, North Carolina, West Virginia and Wyoming, bringing the total number of states with recognition of gay marriage to 32. (ABC News)

Sports

In baseball:
- In the World Series, the San Francisco Giants defeat the Kansas City Royals 11–4 at AT&T Park in San Francisco, leveling the series at 2–2. (AP via ESPN)
- The 2014 Japan Series begins with the Hanshin Tigers defeating the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks 6–2 in Hanshin's Koshien Stadium. (NHK)

October 26, 2014 (Sunday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

War in North-West Pakistan
- Pakistan's military claims to have killed 18 militants in air strikes near the Afghanistan border. (AFP via Business Recorder)
War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
- Camp Bastion, the last remaining British base in Afghanistan, and Camp Leatherneck, an American base next to it, are handed over to the Afghan Government. (BBC News)
Sinai Insurgency
- The Egyptian government closes the Rafah border crossing with Gaza and will set up a buffer zone after a series of attacks which were reported to have been launched using smuggling tunnels from Gaza. (Times of Israel)
Gaza-Israel conflict
- Peace talks between Hamas and Israel have been canceled after the Hamas delegation was refused entry into Egypt following recent attacks against the Egyptian Army. (Times of Israel)

Law and Crime

Senzo Meyiwa, the goalkeeper and captain of the South Africa national football team, is fatally shot in a township near Johannesburg. (Reuters via Yahoo!)

Politics and elections

Tunisian parliamentary election, 2014
- Voters in Tunisia go to the polls for a parliamentary election, the first under a new constitution. (BBC)
Brazilian general election, 2014
- Voters in Brazil go to the polls for the second round of a presidential election with incumbent President Dilma Rousseff re-elected. (AP), (Belfast Tellegraph)
Uruguayan general election, 2014
- Voters in Uruguay go to the polls for a general election with the presidential election expected to go to a second round. (BBC)
Ukrainian parliamentary election, 2014
- Voters in Ukraine go to the polls with supporters of President Petro Poroshenko expected to do well. (AP via Fox News)

Sports

In baseball, the San Francisco Giants defeat the Kansas City Royals 5–0 at AT&T Park in San Francisco, taking a 3–2 lead in the World Series. (AP via ESPN)

October 27, 2014 (Monday)

Health

An outbreak of cholera kills 51 in Niger. (Al Jazeera)

Law and crime

Spanish police arrest 51 people in an anti-corruption crackdown. (TOP)
The first school shooting in Estonia takes place in Viljandi. (ERR)

Politics and elections

Moderate conservative John Tory is elected Mayor of Toronto, Ontario.(News.com.au)

October 28, 2014 (Tuesday)

Disasters and accidents

Residents of Pahoa, Hawaii, begin evacuating ahead of an impending lava flow from the Kīlauea volcano. (BBC News)
18 miners are trapped in a coal mine accident in Ermenek in Karaman province, Turkey. (ABC News)

Health

Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa
- Australia issues a blanket ban on issuing visas for residents of Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone, the countries worst affected by the Ebola epidemic. (Reuters)

Politics

Zambian media reports that President Michael Sata has died while receiving medical care in London. (New Vision)

Science

An unmanned Antares rocket carrying NASA's Cygnus CRS Orb-3 resupply mission to the International Space Station explodes seconds after taking off from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport in the U.S. state of Virginia. The loss includes five thousand pounds of cargo. (The Baltimore Sun)

Sports

In baseball, the Kansas City Royals defeat the San Francisco Giants 10–0 at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, in the sixth game of the World Series. The Royals tie the series at 3–3, setting up a decisive final game on October 29 in Kansas City. (AP via ESPN)

October 29, 2014 (Wednesday)

Arts and culture

New Zealand will hold a referendum regarding its national flag in 2016. (BBC)

Disasters and accidents

A mudslide in south-central Sri Lanka kills more than 100 people. (Reuters)

Politics and elections

Tunisian parliamentary election, 2014
- The results of the recent Tunisian parliamentary election are announced with the secular Nidaa Tounes party winning a plurality of seats. (BBC)
Guy Scott, the Vice-President of Zambia, becomes the interim President following the death of Michael Sata in London on Tuesday. (Voice of America)

Sport

In Major League Baseball, the San Francisco Giants win the 2014 World Series, defeating the Kansas City Royals by 4 games to 3 for the Giants' third World Series win in five seasons, followed by civil disorder in the streets. Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner is named as series MVP. (The Guardian), (AP)

October 30, 2014 (Thursday)

Armed conflicts and attacks

2014 Burkinabé uprising
- Protestors demanding the resignation of President Blaise Compaoré set fire to parliament and other official buildings. The Chief of the Army dismisses the government and national assembly and announces a curfew and a transition time of one year. Compaoré fled to Dakar, Senegal. (Euro News)
Piracy in Somalia
- Seven Indian sailors are released by pirates after 4 years of captivity. (UPI)
2014 War in Donbass:
- Russian action film star Mikhail Porechenkov is caught on film wearing press gear while firing a machine gun toward Ukrainian lines with pro-Russian rebels at Donetsk International Airport. (Mashable)

Disasters and accidents

A Beechcraft King Air B200 crashes into a FlightSafety International building in Wichita, Kansas - there are four dead. (Wichita Eagle)

International relations

Sweden officially recognises Palestine as a sovereign state. Israel recalls its ambassador to Sweden. (The Independent)

Law and crime

Eric Frein, wanted in the American state of Pennsylvania for the 2014 Pennsylvania State Police barracks attack that killed one officer and injured another, is taken into custody. (CNN)

Politics

Thomas Menino, former mayor of Boston, Massachusetts, and the longest-serving mayor in the city's history, dies of cancer at the age of 71. (Boston Globe)
The Temple Mount in Jerusalem was closed to all visitors for the first time since 2000, following the attempted assassination of Israeli activist Yehuda Glick. (The Jerusalem Post)

Sports

In Nippon Professional Baseball, the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks win the 2014 Japan Series defeating the Hanshin Tigers by 4 games to 1. Hawks outfielder Seiichi Uchikawa is named as series MVP. (CBS Sports), (The Japan News)

October 31, 2014 (Friday)